Hundreds protest over smashing of Russian demon figure

Protesters denounce destruction of antique figure, ripped down by group who said it encouraged "open worship of Satan".

30 Aug 2015 16:47 GMT

Police said they had found smashed fragments of the figure in rubbish sacks [AP]

More than a thousand Russians have rallied in Saint Petersburg after a century-old bas relief of a mythical demon was destroyed amid fears of increasing religious intolerance under President Vladimir Putin.

The protest came on Sunday, a week after the figure of Mephistopheles was ripped down from the facade of a century-old building in Saint Petersburg.

An obscure group calling itself the Cossacks of Saint Petersburg claimed responsibility in an open letter, saying the figure encouraged "open worship of Satan" and was unacceptable because it was opposite a church.

Police said they had found smashed fragments of the figure in rubbish sacks.

Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the destruction of cultural heritage, which carries a jail term of up to two years.

The demonstrators, including architecture preservationists, gathered in front of the building on Sunday, calling the destruction a "brazen act of vandalism".